On 21 June, join us for a Midsummer hike through the rolling hills and blooming meadows surrounding Drusti as we welcome the shortest night of the year together! This will be the sixth event in the hiking series “Smiltene Municipality – A Place to Discover”. As usual, participants will be able to choose between two circular routes, both starting and finishing at the Drusti Community Centre. The hike begins at 3:00 PM.

The Big Loop is 20 kilometres long and follows mostly gravel roads. Along the way, hikers will pass Drusti Church, Piltiņkalns Hill, guest house “Ūdensrozes”, Gatarta Manor, Briņģi Manor, and many other beautiful locations while listening to stories and discovering the history and character of Drusti Parish. The estimated hiking time is 6 hours. Participants are encouraged to bring snacks and drinks to keep their energy up throughout the hike.

After the hike, participants are invited to gather around a bonfire in the Drusti open-air stage area to watch the sunset and welcome the shortest night of the year together.

The small loop is 4 kilometres long and will lead through the streets of Drusti centre, the park, and just slightly beyond the populated area, where the route will take hikers into meadows filled with Midsummer flowers and herbs. The estimated hiking time is 2.5 hours. At the end of the small loop, a picnic by the bonfire is planned. Participants of the small loop are also invited to spend the evening in Drusti and join the gathering to watch the sunset together.

What to do until sunset? Relax on the beach at Lake Krogus, take a trip to Piltiņkalns Hill or visit Gatarta Manor – there is plenty to see and experience in Drusti! For more ideas on places to visit, explore the “Discover” section on the website visit.smiltene.lv.

At the end of both routes, participants will have the opportunity to enjoy a delicious soup (5 EUR per person).

Advance registration for the hiking event is required by 18 June. Registration is available via the online form at https://ej.uz/drustu-muizu-medalus. You can also register for the hike by calling or writing to +371 29395200.

Participation in the event is free of charge.

Perhaps after the hike, there is no need to rush home — why not relax at one of the nearby guest houses? In Drusti, you will find the glamping “DiDille”, the guest house “Magazīna” and the cottage “Drustu pļava”, while a little further from Drusti there are the guest house “Pļavnas” and the guest house “Ūdensrozes”.

Uz tikšanos Drustos!

Written by: Rūta Brakovska
Tourism Specialist, Entrepreneurship and Tourism Department